Ever Shoot with No Ear Protection for Training?

[thatguyoverthere]

I'm sure most of us routinely use ear protection when we are shooting for practice or training or whatever similar activity.

However, if we ever have to fire our weapon in a real-life defense situation, we are almost certainly NOT going to have ear protection on. If you haven't noticed, gunfire is pretty loud, especially indoors.

Have you ever considered that if you do have to fire your gun in a defensive situation (without ear protection) there will be an extremely loud, extremely violent explosion occur just about two feet from your face? You might be startled enough by that sudden, loud explosion that you may be momentarily disoriented because this in not what you are accustomed to in all your practice shooting. That (possibly very brief) disorientation might be a real problem if you need to fire follow-up shot(s), especially considering someone might be shooting back at you.

That brings up the question: do you ever practice/train - even for just one or two shots - with NO ear protection, just so it might help you be more familiar with the sound of full volume gunshots, in order to possibly be better prepared for a real-life defensive shooting event?

[troglodyte]

When I was young and bulletproof I would hunt and plink without ear protection. Could be why I have a faint ringing in my ears all the time now.

[Flightmare]

I shot a couple rounds from my pistol out at my friends without hearing protection. I wanted to see just how bad it might be, and how I would react. Granted, it was not a stressful self defense situation. Hopefully I never have to fire mine in self defense. Should that day ever come, I know it won't be the sound that will stop me.

[Beiruty]

For the first 26 yrs of my life, I heard enough explosions and gunfire than any of you can even imagine. That Including a Car Borne IED exploded at sunrise that was placed next to our Apartment building. I was woken up like to Orange Sky and deafening sound and me yelling like a Zombie of I am legend type.
In life and death situation, you would be deaf too for the duration of the fight. Fight is ON

[treadlightly]

I think it’s a bad idea to injure yourself in training. In a real fight I don’t think the noise of your gun will be a concern, and there is zero reason to experience the sound of a muzzle facing you.

[C-dub]

That I can recall, I've fired two 30.06 rounds without ear protection. One from the first round I fired from my Garand. I was speaking with a gentleman whit quite a bit of knowledge about the Garand and then forgot to put in my plugs before the first shot.

Then once other time with my '03 Springfield. I don't remember why on that one. I just remember it being really loud.

I have no intention to ever do that again with any gun without a really really good reason.

[jb2012]

Used to shoot all the time without ear pro growing up. Dumb. Now I definitely have hearing damage, along with constant ringing. I can tune out the ringing for the most part unless it’s quiet. Now’days I refuse to shoot anything over a .22lr without ear pro. I hate indoor ranges. I also really don’t like loud guns either. However I’m confident my hearing is the last thing I’ll think about in a defensive situation.

[oljames3]

M16A1
M60 machine gun
M2 Machine gun
M109 self-propelled 155mm howitzer

I agree with the OP that we should get an idea of how we will function with our self-defense tool when we have to use it with out the gear we wear on the range. Many forum members, through military exerience, know how they react to firing various weapons without the ususal range gear.

Our defensive handgun use will likely be over quickly with only a few rounds fired. I'm not concerned about the lack of hearing protection in that event. Extended firing on the range, however, could cause real damage if one did not wear hearing protection.

In my personal experience, my 9mm handgun is less painful to fire without hearing protection that any other weapon I've fired. Of course, I spent 34 years with cannons and heavy missiles. I my not be typical. Some of my fondest memories are standing outside the howitzer as it fired or riding the cab as the beast danced when firing a high charge and breach block recoiled inches away from me.

[Liberty]

We never used hearing protection as yutes or with the Army. Shot a mini 14 while in my car once. Was painful. I have also a few folks how to shoot. My observations and understanding is. Shooting 1 round of modest ammo like a 380 or 9mm can cause permanent hearing loss, this hearing loss gets worse as we get older. Shooting without protection won't make you shoot better. Shooting a loud gun without hearing protection can make you flinch.

It has been reported that in stressful adrenalin pumping shootouts the sound of gunfire was not uncomfortable or an issue at the time. Even though hearing loss had happened.

[SigM4]

As Beirut’s notes in a stressful situations where your focus is on either getting away from danger, or engaging it, it is often reported that most people go into a sort of auditory exclusion. I would imagine if I were using my gun in a self defense scenario I probably wouldn’t even notice the sound of the gun shot(s).

[Beiruty]

As Beirut’s notes in a stressful situations where your focus is on either getting away from danger, or engaging it, it is often reported that most people go into a sort of auditory exclusion. I would imagine if I were using my gun in a self defense scenario I probably wouldn’t even notice the sound of the gun shot(s).

You would not even feel the pain.

[Beiruty]

As Beirut’s notes in a stressful situations where your focus is on either getting away from danger, or engaging it, it is often reported that most people go into a sort of auditory exclusion. I would imagine if I were using my gun in a self defense scenario I probably wouldn’t even notice the sound of the gun shot(s).

You would not even feel the pain.

[Beiruty]

As Beirut’s notes in a stressful situations where your focus is on either getting away from danger, or engaging it, it is often reported that most people go into a sort of auditory exclusion. I would imagine if I were using my gun in a self defense scenario I probably wouldn’t even notice the sound of the gun shot(s).

You would not even feel the pain.Auto-pilot mode, Survive at any cost

[allisji]

I have fired .22LR without hearing protection, and known immediately that it was a bad idea. Of course I don't like loud sounds anyway. Even suppressed and shooting .22 subsonics is still louder than I enjoy. I am very accustomed to wearing ear plugs as I work in a chemical plant, and usually have multiple pairs of ear plugs in my car in case I might need them.

That said, I have considered the noise aspect of a home defense situation. I have a suppressed Glock 21 for home defense. It has a rail mounted light/laser, but I need to get suppressor height night sights installed on it as well. Only problem is that I don't have a great quick access way to store it with the suppressor on it. I have a fingerprint gunvault that I have my Glock 21 and my suppressor stored in by the bedside. My plan would be to grab both the gun and the suppressor if I had a visitor/intruder, or needed to secure the premises. However, in the event that I was rushed to respond and not able to mount the suppressor... well my family is more important than my hearing.

[cmgee67]

Growing up duck and dove hunting and when you can fire anywhere from 10-50 times in a hunt and usually with other people you get used to loud things. I try to make sure to wear EAR pro when shooting pistol and rifles but I have done it a few times without. I am not worried in the slightest the sound of the gun shot in a defensive situation startling me. The only thing I’m going to be caring about is keeping my family and myself safe. I now wear Ear pro every time time I shoot and I usually won’t go shooting without it. Now they have the electronic ear pro that can enhance your hearing so while hunting you can really hear what’s coming and then when you shoot it makes the shot sound like it’s coming from a video game.


Good discussion tho. It’s good to talk about these things and think about them.